Rainer Hoess standing near the spot in which is grandfather, Nazi Rudolf Hoess, was hanged.
The
concept of the "Black Sheep" brings to mind stories of scandal and
shame brought upon decent people by a lone, errant family member. But
depending on who your family is, absolute rebellion and denunciation of
them may just be a good thing. Take the case of Rainer Hoess, grandson
of Auschwitz concentration camp commandant and high-ranking Nazi officer
Rudolf Hoess. Rudolf, who lived in a stately home near the Auschwitz
camp just a few minutes walk away from the gas chambers, killed 20,000
prisoners daily before going home to play the role of loving father to
his family.
Rainer’s father Hans-Jurgen
would play in the garden as thousands of people were simultaneously
being killed just feet away. When Hans reached adulthood, he barred any
of his family to say a single harsh word about Rudolf Hoess. Said
Rainer, you had to “admire (my) grandfather like a hero.”
Despite
his family's silence on the matter, by his teenage years, Rainer had
learned the horrific truth that was his grandfather's legacy. Rainer's
only sympathizer was his mother, who often bore the rage of her husband
on the issue. At age 16, Rainer ran away from home, never to return.
Since then, he's devoted his life to speaking out against extremism.See a video of Rainer giving a tour of the Hoess house at Auschwitz below, and read about other black sheep of famous families here.
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